Source: Engadget

Samsung Unpacked 2026 Highlights

Date: Wednesday, February 26 2026
Location: Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco

Samsung kicked off the Mobile World Congress season early with its latest Unpacked event, unveiling the Galaxy S26 family, the Galaxy Buds 4 lineup, and a suite of AI‑powered software updates. All devices are already available for pre‑order.

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Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra

[Image: Sam Rutherford for Engadget]
Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Overview

*Prices are for the base storage tier; all models are $100 more expensive than their S25 predecessors, reflecting ongoing RAM shortages.

Design & Build

• Rounded corners across the lineup for a unified look with the Ultra.
• New colorways (available on all models): Purple, Blue, Black, White, Silver, Rose Gold (Silver & Rose Gold are online‑only).

Processor

• North America, China, Japan: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
• Other regions: Exynos 2600 (Samsung’s in‑house SoC).

Camera System

• Same sensor hardware as the S25 series, but with wider apertures on the 200 MP main and 5× telephoto lenses for better low‑light performance.
• New software features:
  • ProScaler image upscaling.
  • MDNIe chip for improved color precision.
  • Object‑Aware Engine for more natural skin tones and hair texture.
  • Video Horizon Stabilization to keep the horizon level during motion shots.
  • Updated AI tools: Now Brief and Auto Eraser now work with more third‑party apps.

Privacy Display (Ultra only)

• First‑ever privacy screen on a smartphone.
• Reduces side‑angle visibility while retaining most brightness.
• Customizable triggers: lock screen, incoming notifications, or specific apps (e.g., banking).

Battery & Charging

• S26 / S26+ – 4,300 mAh / 4,800 mAh respectively.
• S26 Ultra – 5,000 mAh.
• Supports Super Fast Charging 3.0.
• No Qi 2.0 magnetic charging on any S26 model – a notable omission in 2026.

Availability

• Pre‑orders: Open today (Feb 26).
• Shipping date: March 11, 2026.

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Galaxy Buds 4 & Buds 4 Pro

[Image: Sam Rutherford for Engadget]
Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Design Refresh

• New, smoother stems – the angular “light‑bars” are gone.
• Computationally designed fit for a tighter, more comfortable seal.
• Buds 4: Open‑fit design.
• Buds 4 Pro: Canal‑fit (in‑ear) design.

Audio & Features

AI Integration

When paired with a Galaxy device, the Buds 4 series can invoke:

• Bixby voice commands.
• Google Gemini for conversational queries.
• Perplexity for quick information look‑ups – all accessible directly from the earbuds via touch gestures.

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Quick Links

• Hands‑on with the Galaxy S26 Ultra – Read our initial impressions.
• Full S26 & S26+ review – Coming soon.
• Pre‑order page – Samsung Store.

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All specifications are based on Samsung’s official announcements and may be subject to change prior to launch.

Galaxy Buds 4 Pro – Voice & Gesture Controls
The Buds 4 Pro support hands‑free voice controls (though the “hey, Plex” command for the latter might be a tad confusing for folks who use a certain media‑server app). They also support head‑gesture controls for managing calls and Bixby interactions.

• As with the S26 phones, pre‑orders for the earbuds open today and they’ll hit shelves on March 11.
• Pricing:
  • Galaxy Buds 4 – $180
  • Galaxy Buds 4 Pro – $250
• Colors: white, black (matte finish) and an online‑exclusive pink option for the Buds 4 Pro.

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Android AI Features

Ahead of Unpacked, Samsung confirmed that it would offer Perplexity as an AI‑agent option in Galaxy AI on the S26 lineup. As part of that update, Samsung shared that the S26 series would respond to the “Hey Plex” wake phrase, and that Perplexity’s features would also be embedded in the Samsung Browser app. The company also recently updated Bixby to make its own virtual assistant more conversational.

On the same day, Google announced new Android AI features that will be available on S26 devices:

• Gemini app (beta) – enables you to offload multi‑step tasks (e.g., booking a ride or assembling a grocery order) to AI.
• Circle to Search – lets you find details about multiple objects at once (e.g., an entire outfit rather than a single piece).
• On‑device Scam Detection – Gemini‑powered phone‑call scam detection will be available for S26 devices in English (US market).

Launching soon as a beta feature in the Gemini app for #Pixel10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S26 series, you can offload multi‑step tasks directly to Gemini.
Simply long‑press the power button and ask Gemini to help book you a ride home or reorder your last meal.

— Google Gemini (@GeminiApp) February 25, 2026

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Try Galaxy Relaunches for the S26 Series

The day after Unpacked, Samsung posted a press release encouraging users to try its Try Galaxy experience:

• Scan a QR code to launch the Galaxy UI on any device.
• Explore apps, photo‑editing tools, AI features, and more.
• Managing editor Cherlynn Low tested it on her iPhone 17 Pro and described the setup as “trippy but fascinating.”
• The experience also lets you preview the software of Samsung’s foldable phones on your primary device.

“This isn’t the first time Samsung has made it possible to emulate a Galaxy phone on your own handset, but the new iteration for Galaxy S26 certainly is new this year.” — Aaron Souppouris, Editor‑in‑Chief

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Updates

• February 25 2026, 4:35 PM ET – Added more details on the Perplexity AI integration and included mentions of our hands‑on and pre‑order articles in the intro.
• February 26 2026, 12:49 PM ET – Added information about the new Try Galaxy experience announced by Samsung.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/everything-announced-at-samsung-unpacked-the-galaxy-s26-ultra-galaxy-buds-4-and-more-180000530.html?src=rss